The largest surviving portion of Wittgenstein's nachlass containing his working papers 1914-1951
Wittgenstein, Ludwig Josef Johann (1889-1951), philosopherThis collection contains, firstly, the surviving contents of the Pethick-Lawrences’ correspondence files, including letters from, and copies of letters to, a wide range of politicians and public figures. It also contains papers relating to the Lawrence family and the early life of F. W. Lawrence; articles and scripts of talks by Lord Pethick-Lawrence; correspondence between the Pethick-Lawrences themselves; papers of Lady Constance Lytton; papers relating to the separation of the Pethick-Lawrences from the Women’s Social and Political Union; and papers relating to prison conditions. The collection includes particularly notable material on the subjects of Indian independence, the suffrage movement, and other aspects of social reform.
Lawrence, Frederick William Pethick- (1871-1961), 1st Baron Pethick-Lawrence, politicianThe papers consist of correspondence, school notebooks, research notes and drafts, diaries, photographs, and publications documenting most aspects of Davenport's life and work. His contributions to his subject as student, teacher, writer and researcher, are well documented and the collection as a whole is of pedagogical interest. Less fully represented are his extensive travels for visits and conferences (which can sometimes only be deduced from a jotted heading on a lecture script) and his work for the London Mathematical Society.
The 60 boxes of material are organised into seven series: Biographical and personal papers, School and university notebooks and lecture notes, Lectures and addresses, Publications, Research notes and drafts, Faculty of Mathematics, Cambridge and Correspondence.
Series A, Biographical and personal papers, includes Davenport's unpublished reminiscences and reflections on his life's work, written shortly before his death with the assistance of his wife and his colleague D. J. Lewis (A.8-10). Other documentation on his career includes, unusually, his examination scripts and marks awarded at Manchester University in 1927 preserved by his principal tutor, L. J. Mordell (A.30-31).
Series B, School and university notebooks and lecture notes, is a record of mathematical teaching at Manchester 1924-1927 (B.23-54) and Cambridge 1927-1932 (B.55-92), by means of Davenport's notes, carefully taken and preserved, of lecture courses, class work and exercises.
Series C, Lectures and addresses, is a substantial section representing Davenport's own contribution to the teaching of mathematics from the 1930s as a Research Fellow in Cambridge through his various university appointments and lectures abroad, including the lectures at Michigan, later published in book form (C.115-124). Several of these contain sets of problems and solutions, and some examination material. On a less technical note is the address given in 1947 at Accrington Grammar School, Davenport's old school (C.131). A new generation in the filiation of mathematics is represented by the notes on Davenport's lectures at London in 1946 made by C. A. Rogers, his research student, collaborator and eventual successor as Astor Professor (C.167).
Series D, Publications, includes drafts, sometimes accompanied by correspondence with collaborators (see especially D.110-120) or publishers, for Davenport's many papers. These have been linked wherever possible to the numbered list in the Bibliography appended to the Royal Society Memoir by C. A. Rogers and others (Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society, 17, 1971). In addition, there is considerable material relating to work not listed in the official bibliography: this includes Davenport's books, The higher arithmetic (D.89-92) and Multiplicative number theory (D.170-182), book reviews (D.208), unpublished work (D.201-203) and a posthumous publication (D.207).
Series E, Research notes and drafts, contains a variety of material: paginated narrative sequences perhaps intended for lectures or papers, notes and calculations often on problems arising from work by others, and miscellaneous shorter unidentified notes. There is in consequence some potential overlap with other series, notably C and D. Of interest is the collaborative work with Helmut Hasse arising from Davenport's period in Marburg (E.1-15). Davenport's notes of lectures and talks by others (E.103-126) include mathematicians of an older generation (K. Mahler, L. J. Mordell, C. L. Siegel), friends and contemporaries (P. Erdös, H. A. Heilbronn), and pupils and successors (B. J. Birch, J. W. S. Cassels, C. A. Rogers, K. F. Roth). Another link in the pedagogic chain is J. E. Littlewood's extended list of 'Research Problems' and Davenport's 'Comments' (E.131)
Series F, Faculty of Mathematics, Cambridge, is small but includes a little material on research, examinations and the newly-created Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics.
In Series G, Correspondence, Davenport's links as student, teacher and collaborator with several generations can be traced. Early correspondence with E. A. Milne (G.206) and L. J. Mordell (G.208) feature their recognition and fostering of Davenport's talent, and that with E. Bombieri (G.28-39), D. J. Lewis (G.175-184) and C. A. Rogers (G.268-278), among many others, indicate his continuing contributions. Special mention must be made of Davenport's close connection with German mathematicians, several of whom he met during his early visits to Marburg and elsewhere and whom he helped and encouraged when they were forced to emigrate: see his correspondence with H. A. Heilbronn (G.123-142), H. Kober (G.165), K. Mahler (G.194-201), and R. Rado (G.257). There is also correspondence with H. Hasse (G.116-122), who remained in Germany. Davenport's command of the language is evident both in the correspondence and in the drafts for lectures and papers elsewhere in the collection.
Davenport, Harold (1907-1969), mathematicianThe collection is particularly noteworthy for its coverage of Adams's lectures, research and incoming correspondence.
Section A, Biographical, is not substantial. It includes a little material of Adams's relating to his own career including three Bedford School notebooks and his PhD thesis, and material assembled by I M James during the preparation of his Royal Society memoir.
Section B, Research, provides extensive documentation of Adams's research from the 1950s until his death. It is presented in an alphabetical sequence arranged by subject title.
Section C, Lectures, is the largest in the collection. Two subsections comprise Adams's lecture notes and other teaching material for courses given at Manchester and Cambridge, and material from conferences and seminars attended by Adams throughout the world including drafts of Adams's contributions and notes of contributions by others. A third subsection consists of Adams's ms notes found in filing cabinet drawers labelled 'Other people's lectures'. It includes notes taken by Adams as an undergraduate at Cambridge in 1949.
Section D, Publications, is very slight. It includes drafts of a few of Adams's scientific papers.
Section E, Correspondence, contains virtually no extended exchanges of correspondence as very few copies of Adams's own letters survive. There is, however, significant correspondence from colleagues such as M F (later Sir Michael) Atiyah, M G Barratt, P J Hilton, I M James and S MacLane, sometimes extending over a period of twenty or thirty years.
The archive consists in the greater part of correspondence of Frederic and Eveleen Myers (1840s-1930s) but also contains Frederic Myers' diaries (1843-97) and notebooks (1861-81), notes and discussions on psychical research, family memorabilia and photographs and papers relating to L. H. Myers including papers relating to the publication of The Pool of Vishnu, poems and autobiographical notes (20th cent).
Myers, Frederic William Henry (1843-1901), psychical researcher and essayistThe archive contains school and University papers 1871-1905, diaries 1881-94, Education Department and Treasury papers 1883-93. Papers relating to India 1891-1904, the Natal finance 1899-1900, the Ottoman public debt 1893-09, the General Post office 1903-09, the National Bank of Turkey 1903-17, the Royal Commission on the Civil Service 1912-15, wartime finance and trade 1915-21, the Indian Exchange and Currency Committee 1914-20 and the Railways Amalgamation Tribunal 1921-23. Correspondence 1873-1923. Papers of Lady Elisabeth Mary Babington Smith 1894-1935. Bruce family correspondence 1861-1938.
Smith, Sir Henry Babington (1863-1923), knight, civil servant and financierThe majority of this archive consists of letters by Duff to members of his family, viz.: (A): to his wife Laura, 45 letters, 1897-1909; (B): to his son Alan, 356 letters, 1909-1933; (C): to his son Patrick, 96 letters, 1909-1934; (D): to his son James, 4 letters, 1909-1916; (E): to his daughter Hester, 8 letters, 1933-1934; (F): to his daughter Mary, 1 letter, 1911.
There are also 68 letters (G) from Laura Duff to her son Alan, 1915-1940, and three (H) to her husband J.D. Duff, relating to their son James's entrance examinations for Wellington College in 1910. J, K and L are letters written by their sons: 3 letters and a postcard from Alan Duff to his mother, 1909-1920 (J), a letter from James Duff to Alan Duff, 1911 (K), and a letter from Patrick Duff to J. F. Duff, relating to J. F. Duff winning a scholarship to Trinity in 1916 (L).
The final group of letters (M) are by various authors: one from J. D. Duff to Diana Frances Crawley, future wife of his son Alan, on the death of her father, 1933; letters to A. C. Duff from W. G. Collett (1911) and R. Moore (1913) at Wellington College; letter to J. D. Duff from G. M. Trevelyan, 1934 about Edward Fitzgerald's letters; letter to Laura Duff from the Postmaster at Cambridge, 1923, relating to a telegram from Cairo.
Miscellaneous material (N) comprises: copy of the marriage certificate of James Duff Duff and Laura Lenox-Coningham, 1895; page torn from a notebook with short phrase in Ancient Greek; memoir, "Lemnos" of an army camp, probably by A. C. Duff, with envelope addressed to J. D. Duff.
Finally there are twenty eight of J. D. Duff's pocket diaries (usually by Lett's) dating from 1888-1912, 1915-1918, 1922-1926, and 1931-1934; the earliest are kept as appointment books, with brief notes of college and social occasions, but Duff's entries later expand to be fuller records of his days, typically recording weather, reading material, pastimes and family news. A notebook with A. C. Duff's name and address at the front contains 'Extracts from F[ather's] Diary'.
Duff, James Duff (1860-1940), classicistPersonal material of A. S. F. Gow is catalogued under (A): this includes early biographical material he compiled for his nephew Sir Michael Gow, two photograph albums, and correspondence, particularly letters (1907-1920) from William Ridgeway. There is also a handwritten biography, perhaps by Gow, of Cyril Mowbray Wells with other material relating to Wells.
Academic papers, (B), include notes on classical texts, (?1928-1951) some for lectures given by Gow, and items found with the notes, as well as part of Gow's dissertation for a Fellowship at Trinity in 1911.
(C) comprises articles by Gow,"A Cambridge Seal Box of the Seventeenth Century" (1934); "Sir Stephen Gaselee, 1882-1943 - a memoir" (1944), with related material including correspondence, press clippings and so on. (E) consists of items removed from the printed books left by Gow to Trinity College Library (now catalogued under the shelfmark GOW), including correspondence, photographs, press clippings and reviews.
Material related to A. E. Housman (F) includes Gow's "A. E. Housman - a biographical sketch" (1936), along with related items such as corrections, reviews (1936-1938) and correspondence (1936-1963); a letter to J. W. Mackail by Housman, 25 Aug 1922, with a draft copy of his "Last Poems" and comments on it, and portrait sketches of Housman, some inscribed to him by William Rothenstein. There are also newspaper reviews of Housman's inaugural lecture as Professor of Latin at University College (1892, published in 1937) and of his edition of Manilius (1938). Items relating to Housman removed from printed books left by Gow to the Library also fall under this class; several of these are letters from the authors of books on Housman to Gow, such as Laurence Housman, Percy Withers, John Carter and Henry Maas.
Items related to academic societies and institutions fall under the (G) class: reports by the Society for the Promotion of Hellenic Studies (1899-1904) and the British School at Rome (1904-1919); accounts of excavations in Cyprus from the Journal of Hellenic Studies (1887-1891).
Finally, there are six bound volumes with Gow's bookplate (H) containing transcripts of Housman's lectures. Five are typescript: three transcripts of Housman's notes now in Cambridge University Library, "The Application of Thought to Textual Criticism" (containing note of thanks to Gow from 'B[ertram] G[oulding] B[rown]), "Ovid, Heroides I-IV" and "Ovid, Heroides VI-XII" (with additional MS notes by Gow); "Horace, Odes I-III" (transcript of notes taken at Housman's lectures by S. L. Franklyn in 1932, corrections from Housman's lecture notes by B. Goulding Brown 1940-1941); "Plautus, Captivi" (transcript of Housman's notes lent to assessors in the Classical Tripos part II, 1932). The last volume contains MS lecture notes by Gow on Housman's "The Application of Thought to Textual Criticism" (1292), "Notes on Martial", and an index; loose inside, a printed sheet of extracts from Manilius', with M. S. additions in pencil, and M.S. notes by Housman.
Gow, Andrew Sydenham Farrar (1886-1978), classical scholarThe additional manuscript series are artificial groups containing manuscripts from various sources. Most of the contents are single items or small groups, but they include some fairly large personal archives, either arranged in sequence or scattered in various places. See the overview of the collections (https://archives.trin.cam.ac.uk/index.php/overview).
Trinity College Library, CambridgeThis collection does not contain a great quantity of personal material: there is no correspondence with family and friends, for example; there is however a manuscript account of a tour by yacht on the Norfolk Broads in 1903, perhaps by Huia Onslow's governess Helen Moodie as well as creative work by Huia Onslow, such as poetry and a short story, and his translations of poems from Joachim du Bellay's Amours. There is also a group of letters relating to Onslow's stay for health reasons at Banchory, Scotland, in 1913, mainly concerning the choice of house and payment of rent. Financial and legal material includes correspondence between Onslow and his solicitors regarding duties payable on the death of his father William, 4th Earl of Onslow, in 1911, statements of rent received from properties in London account books (including a record of laboratory expenses, 1918-1922), and an inventory and valuation of furniture at Onslow's house made after his death.
Despite the lack of personal correspondence, the papers include a large number of letters. Significant groups include: Onslow's correspondence with J. Donovan, sparked by Donovan's advert in the Athenaeum magazine asking for a physicist to provide him with help on 'an original line of inquiry bearing on the explanation of Life and Mind in exclusively physical terms'; correspondence with various members connected to the Eugenics Education Society (1914-1920) relating to Onslow's work for them; and letters relating to Onslow's work as secretary for the Anaesthetics Emergency Fund of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Families Association (1915-1916), particularly over-seeing contributions from New Zealand.
Correspondence relating to Onslow's own work includes: letters to and from George MacElwee and Frederick Fletcher in response to Onslow's advertisement in the Times as 'A Struggling Scientist' seeking funds for his research (1914-1915); letters between Onslow, William Auton, and Helen Moodie regarding the breeding of rabbits and mice (1914-1915), as well as letters from H. W. Blake, Mabel Illingworth, and W. S. Singleton on the same subject. There is however no correspondence with Sydney Cole (except for a 1914 bill from Cole for private tuition), Muriel Wheldale or other scientists.
Onslow's scientific research is well represented in the form of notes: most of the material in this category is in the form of notebooks recording his investigations into genetics and biochemistry from 1912 onwards, such as three large books on Onslow's programme of breeding rabbits for colour, and books concerning his research into pigmentation in insects (butterflies and beetles) and birds. Also present is a fair quantity of loose material on experiments relating to trytophan, probably the work which led to his (posthumously published) paper on the subject. Onslow's interest in hypnosis is also reflected in his loose notes, which include observations from a series of hypnosis sessions in 1912.
There are also drafts of several of Onslow's articles, some later published, others seemingly unpublished, and offprints of the majority of his published articles. Finally, there are a few textbooks, presumably used by Onslow as an undergraduate.
Onslow, Victor Alexander Herbert Huia (1890-1922), biochemistA supplementary collection of papers of Clive Bell which contains Bell's appointment diaries from 1913 to 1963 as well as a few literary items and material on the history of the Bell family.
Bell, Arthur Clive Heward (1881-1964), art critic and writerThe papers consist of correspondence, diaries, subject files, writings, other Whewell papers, family papers, and later papers of others. The family papers include those originally gathered by Whewell's first wife Cordelia (née Marshall) and his second wife Lady Affleck (née Ellis). The papers of Lady Affleck's brother and Whewell's friend Robert Leslie Ellis now form a subset of this collection.
Whewell, William (1794-1866), college head and writer on the history and philosophy of scienceThe papers primarily consist of mathematical notes on differential geometry, and are accompanied by a small group of printed pamphlets and correspondence.
Herman, Robert Alfred (1861-1927), mathematicianThe papers relate mostly to his writings, notably A New Introduction to Bibliography and From Writer to Reader, though his shorter writings and bibliography are also represented, as are his photographs, including those exhibited in the Wren Library as part of the "Figures" exhibition with David Inshaw.
Gaskell, John Philip Wellesley (1926–2001), bibliographer and librarianThe collection consists primarily of a long series of research notebooks beginning in 1938 and running through to the early 1970s. Additionally, there are some student notes and notes of G. H. Hardy's lectures, which complement those of Bosanquet's brother-in-law E. H. Linfoot.
Bosanquet, Lancelot Stephen (1903-1984), mathematicianThe collection consists mainly of letters and papers received by Montagu in the course of his political career, along with typescript copies of his replies. There are substantial series of correspondence with Curzon, Churchill, Asquith, Lloyd George, Chelmsford, Hardinge, Indian notables and India Office officials. The papers principally reflect Montagu's great interest in India, but there is also material on wartime reconstruction, Ireland, Egypt, and Turkey, as well as interesting personal accounts of the fall of the Asquith government in December 1916 and the Paris Peace Conference.
There are also more than five hundred original letters from Montagu to his mother, Lady Swaythling, from 1885 to 1918.
Montagu, Edwin Samuel (1879-1924), politicianThe papers in this collection are mostly those of J. J. Thomson, his wife Rose, and their children George and Joan. Papers of George's children John and David largely relate to biographies, commemorative events (particularly re the 1997 centenary of the discovery of the electron) and memorials to their father and grandfather, although a few personal papers of theirs are included.
See inventory for more details.
Thomson familyA large collection of Law's papers relating to her work as a linguistic scholar at the University of Cambridge.
Law, Vivien Anne (1954-2002), linguistThis archive contains Alan Baker's correspondence, writings, lecture notes, honorary certificates, photographs, and Fields Medal.
Baker, Alan (1939-2018) mathematicianThis very large archive contains correspondence, lecture notes, writings, diaries, publications, subject files, and slides relating to Huxley's work in physiology.
Huxley, Sir Andrew Fielding (1917-2012), knight, physiologistCorrespondence, photographs, notebooks and loose notes, newspaper cuttings, articles and reviews, proofs, index cards etc.
Most of the notes in Page's hand relate to his editions of Ancient Greek authors.
Also present is correspondence of Page's wife Katharine, née Dohan, including letters from her mother, Edith Hall Dohan, and other members of her family, and letters from Denys Page to Katharine, both before and after their marriage. Some of these were written during Page's time at Bletchley Park during World War II, and while he was part of a special mission to the British headquarters in Sri Lanka and Singapore after the war.
Page, Sir Denys Lionel (1908-1978), knight, classical scholarDrafts of lectures for a course titled "Hamlet: Problems of Interpretation" and drafts of chapters for an unfinished book based on these lectures. These are accompanied by a small group of related writings and notes.
Redpath, Robert Theodore Holmes (1913-1997), literary scholarThese papers consist primarily of writings by E. H. Neville which are accompanied by a small amount of correspondence, and a box of offprints of articles by and about Neville. Some of the writings are identified, but many are not, and it is not clear if the unidentified writings are lecture notes or drafts of one or more books for publication. These unidentified writings tend to be fair copies, with few alterations. Correspondents include W. W. Rouse Ball, W. E. H. Berwick, A. R. [Forsyth?], E. G. Gallop, Amy Herman, R. A. Herman, J. Jackson, J. E. Littlewood (about G. H. Hardy), and W. F. Sheppard.
Neville, Eric Harold (1889-1961), mathematician and educationistPapers relating to psychical research and other occult subjects, the Perrott Fellowship, the Arthur Stanley Eddington Memorial Lecture, and the Swedish language, with group photographs relating to Dulwich College.
Broad, Charlie Dunbar (1887-1971), philosopherWritings, printed material, and miscellaneous material relating to both editions of F. W. Aston's 'Isotopes' and both editions of the later revision, 'Mass-spectra and Isotopes'.
The writings include an incomplete[?] draft of the first edition of 'Isotopes' written in Aston's hand [ASTN 1], some pages written on the verso of minutes of the British Association for the Advancement of Science [ca 1920-1923], with related notes and including a postcard from Hugh Frank Newall dated Dec. 193[?] about a reference found in [Antonius] van den Broek [ASTN 1/104]; other drafts are a combination of typescript and printed material with emendations in Aston's hand and that of a typesetter, some of it written on C. P. Snow's letterhead., with original material for the plates and figures [ASTN 2, 4, 7, 8].
Accompanied by printed copies of 'Isotopes' which contain some edits and have been cut up for use in the revision [ASTN 3, 6], and a typescript letter from F. P. Dunn of Edward Arnold Publishers dated Nov. 1923 sending unbound copies of 'Isotopes' for his use [ASTN 5]. Also accompanied by offprints of other works, also with emendations and cut sections [ASTN 9], and a letter from F. A. Towle of the Royal Society in July 1927 returning figures for his Bakerian Lecture [ASTN 10].
Aston, Francis William (1877-1945), physicistThe archive includes diaries 1952-59, records of self-analysis 1939-59, correspondence 1925-1980s, student notes of G E Moore's lectures 1923-24, academic papers (many fragmentary) ?1920s-1980s
Wisdom, Arthur John Terence Dibben (1904-1993), philosopherThe archive is divided into 5 classes. Papers relating to works published by King (Section A), other archaeological and antiquarian material (B), correspondence (C), personal papers (D) and family papers (E)
King, Charles William (1818-1888), writer on gemstonesThe archive contains little scientific material as by far the greater part of Thomson's scientific papers are deposited in Cambridge University Library. Material is arranged as follows:
Section A - Personal material and correspondence;
Section B - Notes and drafts for publication;
Section C - Scientific correspondence;
Section D - Accounts and biographies of Thomson;
Section E - Published works.
The material in this collection covers the period 1836-1958. It is presented in eight sections.
Section A, Biographical, covers the period 1874-1958. The material includes biographical profiles, certificates, press cuttings, photographs and invitations. Correspondence and papers used by Lord Rayleigh in the preparation of his biography of Thomson The Life of Sir J. J. Thomson O.M. sometime master of Trinity College, Cambridge (Cambridge, 1942) can be found at A/23-A31. A/110-A/143 include press cuttings on Thomson's lectures and reviews of his publications. Certificates are at A/72-A/103
Section B, Family and personal, is the largest in the collection and spans the period 1836-1952. The bulk of the material consists of family and personal correspondence sent to members of the Thomson and Paget families between 1872 and 1952. This correspondence has been arranged by recipient, thus for example, letters from Thomson to his wife are to be found in Lady Thomson's correspondence at B/45-B/53 rather than in that of Thomson himself (B/1-B/6). There is significant correspondence sent to Thomson, 1873-1940, but the largest component of the section, at B/45-B/639, is correspondence and papers of Lady Thomson covering the period 1872-1950. This includes family and personal correspondence received by Lady Thomson, notebooks and diaries, and correspondence from societies and organisations. At B/640-B/679 is correspondence received by other family members including G.P. Thomson, J.P. Thomson, F.V. Thomson and G.E. Paget. The section also includes photographs, household accounts and a little miscellaneous material.
Section C, Trinity College, Cambridge, consists chiefly of incoming correspondence sent to Thomson as Master of Trinity College, Cambridge and covers the period 1918-1944. The bulk relates to College matters including students, Fellows, meetings etc., but there is also business and personal correspondence including letters of congratulations on Thomson's installation as Master in 1918. The correspondence includes letters from Cambridge colleagues such as E. Rutherford, R.T. Glazebrook, J.G. Frazer and A. Schuster. The section also includes invitations to social occasions received by the Thomsons and replies to invitations to social events hosted by the Thomsons between 1918 and 1938. There are also a small number of Trinity College entrance examination papers and scripts.
Section D, Research, is very slight. It consists of a few research notes and photographs for the period 1893 to 1934.
Section E, Societies and organisations, is also slight. It has been arranged in alphabetical order and covers the period 1886-1930. The most significant material is that at E/10-E/28: reports and minutes of the Committee on Science in the Educational System of Great Britain, which Thomson chaired between 1902 and 1920. There is also a small amount of Royal Society material.
Section F, Lectures, speeches and publications, covers the period 1876-1938. There is material on a number of Thomson's public lectures and speeches including lectures given at the British Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Winnipeg, Canada, 1909. A notebook at F/27 has typescript notes on lectures delivered at Cambridge by Thomson. Publications material includes manuscript drafts of the first edition of Conduction of Electricity through Gases (Cambridge 1903) and Rays of Positive Electricity (London 1913). Press cuttings on Thomson's lectures and publications can be found at A/110-A/143.
Section G, Visits and conferences, is not extensive. The material has been arranged in chronological order 1896-1938. It includes brief correspondence on the British Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, 1909.
Section H, Correspondence, is presented in two sequences, scientific and general. The scientific sequence includes letters from G. G. Stokes, Lord Rayleigh (4th Baron) and Lord Kelvin. The general sequence is arranged in chronological order covering the period 1888-1938. A file of 'Letters to JJ from distinguished people and others' is at H/32-H/35, which includes correspondence from Arthur Balfour, Stanley Baldwin and Austen Chamberlain.
Thomson, Sir Joseph John (1856-1940), knight, physicistSection A, Biographical, includes letters from the King George VI’s Private Secretary informing Thomson of the King’s wish to award him the Order of Merit. There are also press cuttings relating to Thomson and material concerning dinners and functions at Cambridge University.
Section B, Family and personal, chiefly consists of correspondence sent to Thomson’s wife, Rose, and to his brother Frederick. The former group of correspondence dates from 1882 to 1949 and comprises letters to Lady Thomson from various members of her family, including her twin sister, Violet, and letters of thanks for hospitality at Trinity College from visiting academics, scientists, politicians and others. The letters to Frederick Thomson are from Lady Thomson and date from 1906 to 1914. There are a few letters, 1903, from Thomson to his wife.
Section C, Correspondence, is presented in two sequences: general correspondence to Thomson dating from 1886 to 1939 and correspondence in French with foreign scientists 1898-1926. The general correspondence is from various scientists, politicians and academics, a large part of it being letters of thanks for hospitality at Trinity College. The correspondence in French, of both Thomson and his wife, is with a number of distinguished scientists, or their spouses, including Marie Curie, A.H. Becquerel and Paul Langevin.
Section D, Non-text material, has one item only: a film of Thomson delivering a lecture in 1934. There is also an index of correspondents.
Thomson, Sir Joseph John (1856-1940), knight, physicist